October 2025: from our Spanish friend from Valencia, Alfonso Garcia Fuertes, we received photos and a description of the ‘Dash Five’ from Yoshioka that he had built. He had an original kit. The kit turned into something beautiful, see for yourself:
At the 1987 World Aerobatic Championships, former F3A World Champion Tsugutaka Yoshioka presented his latest aerobatic model: The ‘Dash Five’ The kit was produced in Yoshioka’s own Model Factory with the traditional high quality of Japanese kits.
First quality selected wood and precise cutting including a detailed plan with assembly instructions.
This particular kit was bought by a club mate at the 80´s, and passed trough three other club members until it came into my hands, partially built, five years ago. Then I finish the building trying to follow the same quality as kit have.
My plan was use electric motor, I made some small modifications, but in the way that will be possible to reverse into glow engine.
The Model is just build straight forward from the kit, but small modifications was introduced, as,
- Modified aileron servo plate to use mini servos.
- Carbon wing tube, the original aluminium one was lost after the four owners.
- Glued nut in the wing first root to hold the wings to the fuselage, instead of the springs system from the kit, that I am not confident.
- Rear alingment wing pin is modfied to made variable incidence system for trimming.
- Use Bertolani pushrod elevator system.
- Made ply mount for motor, who is screwed to the original engine bearers.
- As I use negative incidence in motor trhust line, fit the nose to it.
- Additional canopy frame using the canopy floor from kit, to made the canopy hole bigger to improve the access for the battery replacement.
Please look at the pictures where you can see the modifications introduced.
With correct power managment I can set the timer at 7 minutes with spare battery to do one more last maneouver and made more than one landing approach, safety first…
I use chip chinese electric retract gear for 3,5Kg that work flauwless, when is proper installed, of course…
Fuselage is glassed, painted and clear coated, wing and stab covered in Monokote.
Final weight with batteries is 3700grs, just in the mid of the kit specified range.
Probably if just build for electric is possible to remove some wood from fuselage and reduce weight, but not more than 100grs, in my opinion.
Plane flight is as expected for a good quality F3A model in the 80´s.
It is fast if push the throttle, and keep the track in the maneuvers, allows big loops and slow rolls and also can be flow slow without bad habits.
It was designed for the initial turnaround schedules, and can made it easily, only your hands are the limit!!!
Specifications:
Wingspan: 1770mm (69.68″ inches)
Length: 1550mm (61.02″ inches)
Weight:3.5-3.9kgs (7.7-8.6lbs.)
Wing Area: 53dm (821.5 sq.in.)
Engine: .60 two-cycle, 120 four cycle
Radio: 5 channels w/retracts
Text and Images: Alfonso Garcia Fuertes
